Improvement in velocipedes



A. A. HOFFMAN.

velocipdes.

14 3 0, Paf-ented l'an,13,1874.

UNITED STATES "hand. rubber springs F between itself and the body PATENT Orrron ANTONY A. HOFFMAN, OF NEW YORK, Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN VELOCIPEDES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,340, dated January 13, 1874; application filed I September 1, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. A. HOFFMAN, of New York city, in the State of New York, have in- :swinging pedals means for inclining the shaft to come to rest always in a certain position favorable for the action of the treadles in starting, and to means for conveniently adjusting the height of the seat.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention. The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section,

and Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

. A is the main body or frame, and B is a swiveling housing for the front wheel b. I provide for turning this by means of the single lever B. G is a seat, supported on three adjustable uprights, c 0 in each of which is a series of holes adapted to receive bolts. D

D D are three bolts, mounted in the several housings, a a a and extended forward and W connected in a single rod, D. Acoiled spring,

. d, exerts a constant force tending to hold the. several bolts in place.

raise or lower the seat, the rod D, and, consequently, the bolts D D D are drawn forward by a single movement of the hand, and the When it is desired to seat being thus set at liberty is raised or lowered so as to present the proper hole in each of the posts 0 c 0, when the bolts are released and thrust into the several holes by the action of the spring (I, aided, if necessary, by the G is a stout transverse piece, carryng A. The crank-axle M M M is connected to the cross-piece G by the brackets G. An eccentric, N, is keyed on the shaft M between the cranks, and is encircled by an eccentric strap, a, acted on by a spring, 0, and properly secured on the under side of the body A, exerting a force in the upward direction. Whenever the velocipede is allowed to come to rest, the force of the spring 0 tends to bring the crank-shaft into a certain invariable position. That position is such that the cranks M M are each in a horizontal position, or nearly so. The levers H H are himg in brackets, as represented, one on each side of the center line of the machine. At the rear end, connectingrods I I connect thelevcrs to the respective cranks M M At the forward end of each is a stirrup or independent treadle, J J. The levers are crooked near their forward ends, as represented, to better accommodate the legs of the operator. The axle may be formed with a third crank instead of the eccentric N, and

in such case a connecting-rod from the crank to the spring 0 will take the place of the cocentric strap represented. When an eccentric is employed, it may be made conveniently adjustableto accommodate the taste or humor of the operator.

The swinging stirrups allow an unusual freedom of movement of the limbs. This avoids the irksome character due to the uniformity of position of the operating cranks and their connections in ordinary velocipedes The levers H H in combination, perform,

the useful functions of causing the stirrups to move always in nearlyvertical paths. Each point of suspension moves in the are of a large circle struck from the center or fulcrum of the lever with which it is connected instead of traversing in a small circle as it would if suspended directly from the crank.

The provision for raising, and lowering the seat allows the device to be adjusted instantly, without labor, to accommodate different riders. I esteem it well to so fit the three bolts D D D that they shall enter their severalholes not strictly simultaneously but in succession. This is a nicety, but not a necessity, of the arrange ment, and makes it easier to operate by getting first one into its hole,-and then the next, and finally the last.

I claim as my invention- 1. In combination with a. velocipede, the In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set niy spring 0 and connection n'to the eccentric N, hand this 26th day of August, 1873, in the for the purposes specified. presence of two subscribing witnesses.

2. The impelling-levers H H and freelyswinging stirrups J J in combination with connections I I to the cretnks as specified.

3. The triple bolt and corresponding guides, body A, and the corresponding triple series of holes in the supports for the seat, combined as and for the purposes set forth.

ANTONY A. HOFFMAN.

Witnesses:

WM. 0. DEY, ARNOLD HGRMANN. 

